Bill says no abortion if there's a heartbeat

House considers bill that would outlaw abortions after just six or seven weeks

Enlarge ImageRequest to buy this photoFred SquillanteA pregnant Erin Glockner of Pataskala is given an ultrasound by Julie Aber of Ashland Care Center during a House Health Committee hearing at the Statehouse. Yesterday, Glockner said she supports House Bill 125, which would outlaw abortion when a fetal heartbeat can be detected.

Bill says no abortion if there's a heartbeat -

Ohio would have the most-restrictive abortion limits in the country if a bill before state
legislators becomes law.

Members of the House Health Committee watched silently in a packed hearing room yesterday as
ultrasounds were given to two pregnant women. The fetal heartbeats were played through speakers
while any movement was shown on a large projector screen.

"I think it kind of hits you in the forehead about what is going on in the woman's womb," said
Rep. Lynn R. Wachtmann, a Napoleon Republican and the sponsor of House Bill 125.

"It's an eye-opener," he said.

Ohio is the first state in which legislation has been introduced to outlaw abortions after the
first heartbeat can be medically detected.

The bill - among five anti-abortion bills introduced since Republicans took control of the
General Assembly and governor's office this year - would require doctors to perform an ultrasound
and, if a heartbeat can be heard, an abortion would be prohibited unless the health or life of the
mother is at risk.

"The bill would essentially outlaw abortions in Ohio because they would be banned before a woman
even knows she is pregnant," said Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio.

But she and others say that such a law would be ruled unconstitutional because it would create
an undue burden on the mother.

In fact, Ohio Right to Life is not supporting the bill because the state's leading anti-abortion
advocacy group says the proposal will do more harm than good.

"The heartbeat bill will not save any babies' lives because it will not be upheld in court,"
said Michael Gonidakis, executive director of Ohio Right to Life. "The court has said there can be
no bans on pre-viability abortions."

In the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a woman has the right to
an abortion until the fetus is viable, usually 22 to 24 weeks.

Bill supporters say that once a heartbeat is detected - usually around six or seven weeks - the
fetus should be protected.

"This is an active, growing baby. This is not a blob sitting there," Ducia Hamm, executive
director of the Ashland Care Center, told lawmakers as they watched an ultrasound image of a
9-week-old fetus.

Afterward, Erin Glockner, a 25-year-old Pataskala woman pregnant with her second child, said she
agreed to undergo the ultrasound because she opposes abortion rights and hoped the images might
persuade some lawmakers to support the bill.

"A lot of people don't think it's a baby until it reaches a certain point," she said.

Wachtmann said the bill has 50 sponsors, enough to win passage in the 99-member House.

"The fetal heartbeat can serve as a medical predictor that the unborn baby will reach viability
and live birth," he said.

Faith2Action, an anti-abortion group, chose Ohio to introduce the legislation.

Other anti-abortion legislation being considered by lawmakers includes proposals to tighten
standards for minors seeking judicial bypass to avoid parental consent requirements; to ban health
plans from covering certain abortions; and to prohibit abortions of a viable fetus.